When Authenticity Feels Like a Liability

Recently, I found myself feeling terribly sorry for myself,

I was wondering if my authenticity is simply too much for this world.

Like maybe I should come with a warning label.

Or at least a mute button.

Smile, Wave, Don’t Terrify the Locals

Do I wish I could be that person? Obviously.

Life looks much rosier over there.

Fewer thoughts.

Fewer feelings.

Fewer awkward silences where someone says something ridiculous and you can’t let it slide.

And honestly - if people didn’t suck quite so much, there MIGHT be hope for me.

But alas.

They do suck.

They are, in fact, bloody awful.

The World Wants Polite, Not Real

Here’s the truth: most people don’t want real - they want digestible.

They want agreeable.

They want you edited, softened, and lightly seasoned.

And when you’re not that, you get labelled difficult, rude, weird, dramatic.

Living like that makes you feel wrong.

Like you need to constantly self-censor.

You get dismissed - a lot.

People stop listening because they’ve already decided you’re “a bit loony tunes” and therefore best ignored.

That kind of environment slowly erodes you… with a smile.

This happens when you are around the wrong people.

Not bad people - just wrong FOR YOU.

People who require you to shrink yourself to make them comfortable.

And frankly, I’ve never been good at pretending.

So yes, back to my moment - I was genuinely thinking, “Find me a mountain. Remote. Quiet. Low risk to society.”

The Right Messages at the Right Time

The next morning, I woke up to two messages - and I don’t believe in coincidence.

One was from a follower, who didn’t even use words — just sent this picture.

Perfectly timed.

And while it’s not entirely true that “the world loves me” — a couple of people understand my chaos.

That’ll do nicely.

The other message was from an old friend.

Old… and also "old."

Sorry, friend.

That one landed just as perfectly.

Those messages reminded me of something crucial: when you’re surrounded by people who don’t get you, you start believing you’re the problem.

You’re not.

You’re just out of alignment.

The solution?

Find your people.

They’re out there.

There are loads of us.

The ones labelled weird, different, difficult, rude.

Carry on.

Stay real.

Stay curious.

Stay outspoken.

The world doesn’t need more surface - it needs truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.

You’re not made wrong.

You’re made real.